Academic Leadership Among Full Professors in U.K. Higher Education: The Influence of Gender

• In Event: Women in Academe

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence of gender on the UK professoriate. It examines the career trajectories of (full) professors; how they conceptualize academic leadership; how they perform their role, and whether they have experienced or observed discrimination. It draws upon a questionnaire survey completed by 1,282 (full) professors and 43 semi-structured interviews. It finds that female professors are more likely than male professors to see academic leadership in terms of "being a role model", and to think that their own academic leadership is being hindered by insufficient administrative support, and by the competing demands of student supervision and pastoral responsibilities. A few female professors report more spontaneous career trajectories than their male counterparts, and some have experienced or observed sexism.

Author

• Justine Mercer, University of Warwick